Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen revealed that Red Bull’s new engine has already caught the attention of its competitors, describing the team’s progress as “off to a good start.” For the first time, Red Bull is developing its own power unit in collaboration with American automotive giant Ford, marking the start of a fresh regulatory era.
Ahead of the recent shakedown at Barcelona, there was uncertainty about how Red Bull would perform with their new engine. However, early reactions from rival teams, especially Mercedes, indicated that Red Bull is making a strong impression right out of the gate. The 2026 Red Bull car completed a significant amount of laps with high reliability during private testing in Barcelona, leaving Verstappen cautiously optimistic.
Speaking to the official Formula 1 website about the RB22’s performance, Verstappen commented, “Overall I think it’s pretty decent.” He explained that weather limited his laps on the first day, but by the final day, he completed many laps and gained valuable insight. “There are still a lot of areas I want to explore and improve on, but that’s normal,” he added. Verstappen emphasized the significance of accumulating so many laps with the new engine, calling it a promising beginning while reminding that it’s still early days and ongoing work remains.
The Barcelona testing was not without challenges; Red Bull’s plans hit a snag when driver Isak Hajar suffered a heavy crash on day two, forcing a pause while replacement parts were shipped from the team’s headquarters in Milton Keynes. Before the incident, Hajar shared his thoughts with the F1 website, praising the engine’s smooth performance and noting only minor issues on the first day. “All the upshifts and downshifts felt quite similar to what I was used to,” he said. “There are still details to fine-tune, but overall, it’s very complete.”
The next round of pre-season testing is scheduled for February 11-13 in Bahrain, followed by another test from February 18-20. The F1 season officially kicks off in Australia from March 6-8.
Fan Take:
This development is huge for racing fans because Red Bull’s move to create its own engine with Ford could shake up the sport’s competitive landscape. If their early promise holds true, we might be witnessing the start of a new era of technical innovation and fierce battles on the grid.
